Draft Workshop: CONTENT

Annotated Bibliography

Apply the following questions to EACH annotation.  Give as much feedback as possible.

The Summary: a neutral report of article's content (Consult A & B pp. 27-30):

  • begin the annotation with a reference to the authors' last name.
  • establish the author's purpose (see A & B  2a #1 on p. 27)
  • establish the claim/ thesis  &
  • establish the the main points & type of evidence to prove the thesis
  • carefully provide answers to the journalistic questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how).
  • organized the information into one coherent paragraph that shows interconnections between ideas
  • represents the article fully
  • If the annotation runs on and on, what can the author delete?
  • If the annotation is too short, what can the author add?
  • watch for plagiarism
  • Cross out words or phrases that seem so precise that a college freshman could not have possibly written.  Note: an annotation should not have ANY quotations or paraphrasing. If it does, it means that the author NOT summarized the article.
    • The Evaluation (how well does the author establish the claim, the support, his/her authority etc.)
  • To what extent does the author address the elements that make-up an effective evaluation for this particular type of work (see A & B)?
  • Do you get the sense that the author considers this an effective or ineffective article? Why?
  • TIP: Try if possible to include the evaluation within the summary by using evaluative adjectives and adverbs (effectively, surprisingly, unconvincingly etc.).  If you find that too difficult at this time, you can write a separate paragraph in which you evaluate the argument.  Aim for between 100-150 words.
    • SAMPLE ANNOTATION

    by Brett England
    English 12, UNC (Fall '99)

    3. Satcher, D. The global HIV/AIDS Epidemic. JAMA 281:1479; 1999.
     

    Satcher writes a persuasive argument rallying the world and specifically Americans to dedicate themselves to eradicating the AIDS epidemic worldwide. The statistics on AIDS, which Satcher uses, are astounding. HIV can  be found in 33.4 million people in the world. More than 60% of those infected people live in sub Saharan Africa compared to the less than a million cases in America. The total death toll has reached 14 million! The epidemic spreads out of control in the poorer countries where medical treatments are scarce and the governments and economies are unstable. India has one of the greatest infection rates. Every 14 months the number of infections doubles. There is no doubt that this disease deserves special attention. Vice President Gore and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa placed the problem at the top of their international agenda.

    Satcher emphasizes the need for continual education, testing, counseling, and most importantly political commitment. Satcher's amazing but true statistics as well as his impressive persuasive writing make his piece a very convincing argument.